Slow to Learn
by LateNightConversations
Summary: What can a weekend bring? With these two, one can never tell.
1. No one really wins

Emerald green eyes slowly opened into silent darkness, then squinted shut again; slowly reopening at the hint of an all to familiar scent. Faye Valentine stretched slowly, taking a deep breath, letting the aroma fill her sleepy senses a bit more; coffee and cigarettes. Eyeing the small alarm clock on the bedside table, Faye groaned. _7:00 AM, too damn early_. She rolled back over, forcing her eyes shut once more, but to no avail. The invading aroma had all ready consumed her thoughts. Sighing she rolled out of bed. "Damn it Jet" Faye mumbled to herself. "Why in God's name are you up so early?"

Slipping out of her room Faye trudged down the hall and into the common room, a little surprised by the sight of the man seated on the old worn couch. It was none other than Spike Spiegel, and not Jet as she had assumed. With his bare feet propped on the coffee table, the lanky man wore a pair of lounge pants, no shirt; with a cup of coffee in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. Faye just stood there, staring blankly at him for a moment. Sometimes she had to remind herself that he was really there. It had been months since he had returned from his showdown with Vicious. One day he had just shown back up, no worse for wear, like nothing had ever happened. Jet hadn't questioned him about it once, but then again neither had she, though it was an on going battle with herself to keep her questions to herself.

Spike arched a slightly inquisitive eyebrow. "Mornin'" he mumbled, turning his attention back to his coffee.

Ignoring his half assed attempt at a greeting, Faye headed into the kitchen to fix herself a cup, returning and plopping down in the chair across from Spike. Shifting his attention back to her, he scowled slightly, watching as she took a drink. "I didn't make that for you."

Choosing to ignore his words for the second time in just a matter of minutes. Faye took another drink of the dark elixir whose inviting scent had roused her from a much needed sleep. "Why are you up so early?"

Spike reached over to the ashtray on the table, and snuffed out his smoke. "You mean to tell me you didn't hear all the racket Ed and Jet were making this morning? I figured that's why you were up at a reasonable hour like a responsible adult"

Faye scoffed at his remark "Please Spike, like you are ever up at this hour. Where are Jet and Ed anyways?"

"Well, they took off bright and early…meeting up with some old ISSP friend of Jet's or somethin'. They're gonna be gone all weekend"

"Really? Where'd they go?"

Draining the rest of his coffee, Spike laced his hands behind his head. "Camping."

Faye nearly spit out the coffee in her mouth as she swallowed hard, forcing it down. "Camping? What? Why?"

Spike shrugged his shoulders lazily. "Jet said something about Ed needing to unplug from the cyber world, and Ein is a dog, and should be exposed to the wilds, and blah blah blah. I kinda started to tune him out after he started in about man needing to get back to nature. I think he's starting to lose it, who am I to judge though. But hey, on the bright side, at least he didn't try to drag us along."

"So its just us here all weekend huh?"

Spike nodded "Yup…looks that way. Oh, and Jet made me promise that we wouldn't blow anything up, or ya know... kill each other."

Faye rolled her eyes. "What? Does he really think that we're that irresponsible?"

"Probably just you."

Shooting him a glare, Faye reached across the table with and grabbed the pack of cigarettes that sat in the middle. Tapping one out, she slowly lit it and inhaled, tossing the pack back on the table.

Spike snatched the pack up as soon as it hit the table, shoving them in his pocket. "Those aren't for you either. Jesus Faye, do you always have to such a mooch!?"

She exhaled a small cloud of smoke. "Do you always have to be such a dick?"

Spike downed the rest of his coffee, and sat his cup down on the table, staring across at her. He really wanted to come up with a good come back, unfortunately all he managed was a meager "Bitch."

Snuffing out her smoke, Faye leaned over the table. "Idiot." With that, she rose to her feet, snatching up her coffee cup, and heading toward the kitchen for a refill.

"Slut."

Faye froze in her tracks, and spun around to face him. Coffee cup in one hand, the other firmly planted on her hip. She was half tempted to throw the mug at his head, but that would only further prove Jet's assumptions that they couldn't be left alone true. "What did you just say?"

Spike turned to face her over the back of the couch. "You heard me. You spend enough time in the god damn bathroom. There is a mirror in there ya know? I'm sure you've seen your reflection a time or two."

Faye made her way back into the room, setting her coffee cup down on the table, and coming to stop right in front of Spike who was still seated on the couch. _So he thinks I__'__m a slut huh? _She pushed his legs from the table, locking eyes with him in hopes of making him uncomfortable. Needless to say she was a bit taken back when he instead rose to his feet, and stood in front of her leaning in closer, their eyes still locked. Spike smirked, almost arrogantly. _If she wants to make this a game, I__'__m gonna win._

Running her finger tips idly along his forearm, Faye flashed him her best innocent smile. As Spike loosely placed his hands on her hips, both of them had all ready decided that they refused to give a victory to the other. Letting her fingers slide down his forearm once more, Faye smirked. Blindly, yet with seemingly expert precision, she allowed the tip of one finger to slide down his wrist, and hook into the waist band of his pants. At that moment Spike conceded defeat, and turned his head, breaking their staring contest. _Finally! He__'__s such a stubborn shit._

Spike let out a small relieved sigh, but immediately tensed when he felt Faye's breath warm against his neck for a brief moment, and her voice soft in his ear. He swallowed hard. "I call the shower first." And with that she stepped back, and headed down the hall, pausing for a moment to look back at him over her shoulder with a smirk, before disappearing from sight.

Rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, Spike chuckled dryly to himself as he sat back down on the couch. This was certainly going to be a long weekend.


	2. You wreck me

Round and round and round they go. Spike stared aimlessly up at the blades of the Bebop's ceiling fan, from his laid back position on the couch. He smirked, thinking about the awkward exchange of words between himself and Faye earlier. What exactly was all that nonsense about? For a moment he thought that just maybe she was going to kiss him._ Maybe you wanted her to._

Shaking the thought from his head, he lit up a cigarette. AS he inhaled deeply, his attention was turned back toward the ceiling. The only sound in the room was the gentle whooshing of air, the soft crackle of burning paper and tobacco, and the faint distant sound of the shower. _Jesus Christ! How long is that damn woman going to be in there? She's probably using all the hot water to be spiteful._ Sighing heavily, he stretched his long arm across the table to blindly snuff out his smoke in the ashtray. His mind slowly started to wander back to Faye, as he listened to the faint sound of water drifting from the bathroom. Starting to drift off, he grinned dumbly to himself. _She's in there naked, right now...STOP!_

Mismatched brown eyes shot open, as he tried to force the disturbing thoughts from his mind. From the corner of his eye, he stared at the pack of cigarettes on the table. He debated smoking another one, but opted to roll over instead, squeezing his eyes shut tight. It didn't take long for sleep to claim him this time.

* * *

Drip. Drip. Drip. It took a moment for Spike to register that something wet was falling on his face. Groaning, he slowly opened his eyes, only to have his gaze met by Faye, her face just inches from his, water dripping from her freshly washed hair. He sat up quickly, backing to the opposite end of the couch, wiping his hand over his face.

It was then, that he also realized she was clad only in a towel. "What the fuck Faye?"

Arching an eyebrow, Faye stared at him with a puzzled look etched on her face. "Just wanted to let you know that shower is all yours. Is that some sort of crime? Did I miss the memo somewhere that kindness is an offense that is punishable?"

Spike choked on his laugh and rolled his eyes. "Riiiight….Faye Valentine, a name that is just absolutely synonymous with kindness."

It was now Faye's turn to roll her eyes, and she watched Spike stand and stretch. She quickly adverted her attention to avoid staring at his still shirtless form. "Whatever lunkhead."

"I'm gonna hit the shower then, since you're finally done…hopefully you didn't use all the hot water." Spike started past her, but stopped, setting his hand on her bare shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze.

Biting her lip slightly at the corner of her mouth, Faye shot a glare at him, eyes narrowing as his fingers slid down ghosting along her collar bone. He leaned in, she could feel his breath on her neck. "Hey Faye?"

She could feel a faint blush creep on to her face. She felt his lips move in dangerously close proximity to her ear. "Uhhh….yeah?"

Spike smirked. Pay back is a bitch Faye. He let his lips softly brush her ear lobe as he spoke. "Put some clothes on."

With that he pulled away, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking away toward the shower, whistling an obscure tune as he disappeared down the hall way. Faye let out an exasperated sigh as he vanished from her field of vision. This truly was going to be a long weekend.


	3. The missing frame

Sunlight glittered across the water, a warm breeze blew, the only sound was the faint slapping of gentle waves against the side of the ship. Stretching out in a lounge chair on the flight deck, Faye sighed, relaxing in the warm rays of sun. It was only after tearing through every drawer in her dresser that she has decided on a white tank top and a pair of short denim shorts. Of course she had also managed to leave a huge mess in the form of a pile of clothes behind in her wake._ Oh well, I__'__ll just take care of that later. Maybe._

If this was going to be a lazy weekend she sure as hell was going to make the most of it. No makeup on her face, hair still damp from the shower, Faye smiled, closing her eyes behind her sunglasses._ Fuck it, tan lines be damned today_. She has to admit to herself, this honestly was pretty damn relaxing, peace and quiet. No Ed rambling on and on about god only knows what, no barking from Ein, no Jet bitching at her for doing this or not doing that. A woman could really start to get used to this. Lost in her thoughts, Faye was on the verge of dozing off, when a racket from the door way snapped her back into reality. _Oh yeah, he__'__s still here._

Turning her head toward the source of the sound, Faye arched an eye brow. There was Spike, his arms loaded up with an assortment of items. A small cooler, a tackle box and an old beat up radio stacked on top of it. A fishing pole rested against his shoulder, also balanced against the cooler. But the most intriguing part to Faye however, was the fact that he was dressed in a white t shirt and khaki cargo shorts. _I __didn't__ even know he owned a pair of shorts…learn something new every day. _She watched as he walked by her with out a word, and dropped the load in his arms to the ground, plopping down on the edge of the deck, his long legs dangling over the side. Leaning back in the chair, Faye closed her eyes once more.

"You're going to burn"

Faye rolled her eyes behind her sunglasses. " No I wont. Shut up Spike."

Spike opened the cooler, and fished around its contents, pulling out a beer, and cracking it open. "If you say so Faye, but don't expect me to lather you down with aloe when I am right."

The thick sarcasm in his voice was not missed by Faye, as she raised her hand, flipping him the bird. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were just looking for a reason to put your hands on me." She peered at him over her sunglasses. His back to her, he remained silent, as he drank his beer, and began baiting his hook. She couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed at his lack of response to her quip. "Hey Spike, give me one of those beers."

Smirking to himself, Spike turned to see that she was back to lounging in the chair, not even looking his direction. Removing a beer from the cooler, he shook it with as much force as he could. "I'm not your man servant Faye, you want one, come get one."

Sighing, Faye drug herself from the chair, crossing the deck. "Fine, I wouldn't dare expect you to go out of your way to do something nice."

"I am doing something nice. I don't have to share **MY** beer with you" Spike reached up, a smile on his face as he handed the beer to Faye, who was now standing beside him. His brown eyes locked on her, he held back the smirk that threatened to spread, as he eagerly waited for her to open the can.

"Now see Spike, that wasn't so bad, was it? A little sharing can get you a lo…." Her sentence cut short as she opened the can, face and hands now soaked in beer. Dropping the can to the deck, Faye bit her lip, trying to regain her composure before speaking again. Her voice stayed calm, as she spoke slowly, each word drawing out. "God damn it Spike"

Spike could feel what little remained of the beer seep into the leg of his shorts from the can she had dropped beside him. He laughed quietly, as he awaited the angry onslaught from the woman beside him. _Anytime now…3...2.…1... _To his amazement it never came. Instead she dropped down beside him on the deck, wiping her face and hands off on his shirt.

"Hey, stop that!" he gave her a soft shove.

Laughing, she shoved back, going back for a second over exaggerated attempt at wiping her face off. In her close proximity to him, it dawned on her that he smelled really good. Quickly straightening up, she slung her legs over the side of the railing, mirroring the same position that he sat in. "You're a real jack ass Spiegel."

Grinning broadly, Spike pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and tapped out two, shoving both in his mouth and lit them, then reached over passing one to Faye. She arched an eye brow as she slowly accepted, taking a drag and nodding in thanks. "Do you think Jet has killed Ed yet?" Faye kept her eyes locked on the water below.

Chuckling as he exhaled, Spike grinned. "I would have by now, but Jet has the patience of a saint. But I'd be willing to bet that he comes back completely bald."

Taking another drag, Faye smiled faintly. "Hey Spike?"

"Hmmm?"

"Have you ever gone camping before?"

Giving his fishing pole a quick glance, he nodded. "Yeah, when I was a kid, I used to go with my dad and uncle all the time. That's where I learned to fish too. What about you?"

"No…well, maybe, I dunno."

"You don't know? It's a yes or no question. You said you got your memories back, soooo….its kinda cut and dry don't ya think?"

Faye crushed out her half smoked cigarette. He had definitely hit a soft spot. Still keeping her eyes on the water, she lowered her voice. "I still don't remember every little thing." Suddenly she felt anger start to well up inside her.

Spike took another drag "Ohh.." was all he drawled out.

Fists now balled at her sides, Faye turned to look at him. Spike was taken back by the angry look that flashed across her face. "You wouldn't know that though, would you? When you came back from that whole God damned syndicate ordeal…you waltzed back in here like nothing had changed in the least bit. You never acknowledge the fact that had even told you anything about my memories coming back. You didn't give a shit then, and you don't now…except to throw it in my face!"

Spike looked at her dumbfounded, his cigarette limply hanging from his mouth. He racked his brain trying to come up with anything to say. She was being a tad irrational, but she was partially right. He had come back to the Bebop as though he had never left. He had just sort of picked back up where life had left off, it seemed easier that way. Though she was wrong about one thing. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he did give a shit. "Faye….I….uhh"

"No…you know what Spike? Don't bother. I don't need or want sympathy from a man who has no desire to give it.! So just forget it…" With that she stood and stormed off back into the ship.

Spike closed his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on. Draining the rest of his beer he sighed. _What the fuck was all of that about. One minute we__'__re goofing around, and the next she blows up at me. _His thoughts were quickly interrupted by a tugging at the end of his line. Reeling in, he caught sight of the fish on the end of the hook. Unfortunately it fell off just shy of being pulled onto the deck. Just my fucking luck. "Son of a bitch!" Spike flopped on his back on the deck, an idea slowly working its way through his head.

* * *

Faye had spent the rest of the evening in her room. The clothes that she had haphazardly strewn about earlier, were now everywhere, thrown around in a fit of rage, along with a few other items. With red tired eyes, she observed her wrath._ Hurricane Faye_. She smirked to herself, feeling strangely satisfied.

A nice ugly cry after her blow up at Spike had done wonders, as she now laid calmly on her bed in the darkness. _I don__'__t even know why I blew up like that. I mean…I am just as guilty as him when it comes to pretending like nothing ever happened. Its not like I ever really addressed it…till now_. It wasn't like it didn't nag at her mind constantly, but today it had reached a boiling point. Sure in the 8 months since he had come back to the Bebop, they had been on much friendlier terms. They certainly still had their arguments and days of pretty much ignoring each other however.

Rolling over to face the wall, Faye could hear Spike thumping around in the lounge. _What the hell is that idiot doing? _Her curiosity was almost piqued enough for her to get up and investigate, but mental exhaustion won over, and she soon drifted off into restless sleep.


	4. Closer to you

Thump. Thump. Tap. Tap. Rolling on to her side and groaning, Faye's green eyes attempted to focus on the numbers on the alarm clock. _Ugh, 7:30...not again_. Rolling away from the angry red numbers, she forced her eyes shut, until the scent of coffee assaulted her senses._ Well this sure is déjà vu.._

Reaching down and fumbling around on the floor, nimble fingers soon came in contact with a sought out item. Grabbing a hooded sweatshirt, Faye tugged it over her head and stumbled groggily out of bed. A slight headache remaining from the night before made itself known as she stepped out into the well lit hallway.

"Damn it Spike, why the hell are you up already?" she muttered to herself.

As she passed the worn yellow couch, she stopped, rubbing her eyes. The cushions were missing.

"What in the hell….?"

As she pattered into the kitchen, desperately seeking a cup of coffee, she noticed several bags on the table, as well as the missing chairs at the scuffed up table. Absent mindedly rubbing the back of her neck, Faye began to examine the contents of one of the bags. Graham crackers, hotdogs, buns, marshmallows. The sound of a throat being cleared brought her back into the now, as she jumped a little, standing face to face with none other than Spike.

Opening her mouth to speak, Faye froze as she observed Spike's outfit. He wore the same cargo shorts and white T shirt from the day before, but now also wore a faded flannel shirt as well. _Didn__'__t know he owned one of those either…guess you really do learn something new everyday.. _Motioning to the bags on the table, and then at Spike himself, Faye finally found her words, taking a deep breath. "Wh…what is all of this?"

Setting down a case of beer that he had been carrying into the room he rubbed the back of his neck almost sheepishly. "Well, look…I did a lot of thinking last night. And I uhh…guess you were kinda right."

Faye crossed her arms across her chest and waited for him to continue.

"I know I haven't always been fair to you…..OK well…no, scratch that. I haven't really ever been fair to you. I know I can be a real prick, and really that's no way to treat a friend, and I'm sorry." his voice dropped in volume and trailed off at the end, but Faye had still heard him loud and clear.

She stared blankly at him Did he really just apologize? _First time for everything I suppose. _Trying to keep things light hearted, she chose not to mention his apology. "Okay…but still, what's with all this stuff?"

Spike smirked. "Well…that's part of my peace offering, I guess you could say."

Faye peered into the bags again, brows furrowing a bit. " I am still confused, and where did the couch cushions and kitchen chairs go?"

"Oh, those? Well, Miss Valentine, if you would just so kindly follow me, I will show you."

Rolling her eyes, Faye followed him down the corridor, through the hangar, and out to the flight deck; where an awkward mass soon met her field of vision. Walking around the bulky creation, Faye soon realized that it was the missing kitchen chairs with a tarp secured around them. Sitting neatly inside were the missing cushions, a few blankets, a couple pillows, and a battery operated lantern. "Ok seriously Spike, what's going on?"

Placing a cigarette between his lips and lighting it, Spike inhaled deeply before shoving his hands in his pockets. "Like I said Faye, I did some thinking last night." He exhaled a cloud of smoke before continuing. "You said you couldn't remember if you had ever been camping, I mean I know that its not exactly the real deal, but its somethin' " Slipping his smoke between his fingers he extended his other hand to her. "So what ya say? Truce?"

Faye arched an eyebrow at him, staring at his hand for a moment, before taking it in hers. "All right. Truce."

Spike hand yet to release his grasp on her hand. "But there are a couple rules…well ok, just one rule. Everything we will need will be out here. The Bebop is off limits, except for the bathroom."

Noticing that her hand still rested in Spike's, Faye quickly let it drop to her side, and gave an exasperated sigh. "Fine Lunkhead, I'll play your game, but I am taking a shower first." Spinning quickly around, Faye headed back for the ship. Silently she was thankful that Spike couldn't see the stupid grin plastered across her face.


	5. A Life Less Ordinary

Inky black depths swirled within their ceramic confines, a little self confined ocean of caffeine. Surveying his makeshift campsite, Spike nodded his approval to himself, and took a drink of his coffee._ Shit, I might have made this a little too strong._

Taking a seat in one of the folding chairs he had set up near the 'tent', Spike lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply, exhaling a cloud of smoke and watching it dissipate above his head. Tapping his foot he sighed impatiently waiting for Faye finish with the shower and join him. Considering how he liked to start his morning with a smoke and a good cup of coffee, he hoped that she would be done sooner rather than later. Ignoring the grumbling protest of his guts, Spike took another drink. _I hope she likes this._

It then occurred to Spike that this was one of, no, it was the first real nice thing he had really ever done for Faye. Sure there had been a few times of offered advice, or the sharing of a drink or a smoke, but he had never made the effort to go out of his way to do something genuinely nice. A small twinge of guilt gnawed at him.

Spike snapped his head toward the door as it opened and Faye emerged onto the flight deck. She wore shorts and a tank top, her damp hair hung loosely around her face. _She makes simple look good_.Spike smirked at his thought, as he got up to meet her half way, cigarette still in hand. "About damn time Faye. You sure know how to keep a guy waiting."

Taking note of his cigarette and cup of coffee, she rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. I'm sure you were just soooo lonely without me. I'm sure you just needed the bathroom."

Handing over the remainder of his smoke to her, his smirk broadened "Actually yeah, I really do."

With a slightly disgusted look on her face, Faye took a drag off the half smoked cigarette. "You're gross Spike. You know that?"

"You love it Faye!" He yelled over his shoulder as he disappeared through the door way.

* * *

Continuing to smoke, Faye sat down in the chair Spike had previously occupied. Carefully she looked over the make shift fire pit he had spent last night constructing. She couldn't help but laugh to herself as she read the word messily scrawled on the side 'Burninator' he had named it. _Giant man child._

Reaching down beside the chair, she grabbed Spike's cup of coffee._ No reason to let this go to waste. _Running her free hand along the edge of the fire pit, she felt a smile tug at her lips. Spike really was making an effort to do something nice. She was still in shock at all the work he had put into this, but she was enjoying every moment so far.

"Admiring my handiwork?"

Faye turned to face Spike, the smile on her face had turned into a playful smirk, as she got out of the chair meeting him half way across the deck. "Well I guess you are good at something after all."

Spike leaned in a little closer. "I am good at lots of things Faye."

Faye didn't miss the seductive tone to his words, and she felt a blush quickly creep across her face. She took a drink of her pilfered coffee needing a quick diversion, swallowing in a hard gulp. "Jesus Spike! This coffee is terrible!"

Spike shed his flannel shirt and walked past Faye, ignoring her jab at his coffee making. Grabbing his fishing pole and tackle box, he made his way to the edge of the deck, long legs dangling off the side. Baiting the hook, he patiently waited, hoping Faye would join him. His hopes were soon a reality as she gently sat down beside him. A mischievous smirk played across Spike's face as he motioned toward her with the end of the pole. "Wanna try?"

"I think I'll just watch, thanks.."

Spike shoved the pole in her hands, not taking no for an answer. "Come on, its easy, I'll walk you through it." Placing his hands over hers, he continued to explain. "Ok, so you just flip this over…and hold the line up here, and then just reach back and fire away. Pretty simple."

Faye nodded dumbly, his words barely registering, as her eyes were transfixed on his hands, still on hers. She was slightly surprised that his hands could be so gentle or soft.

Letting go of her hands, he smirked. "Ok Faye, have at it."

Faye stretched her arms back, prepared to cast, but she failed to let go of the line, resulting in her hooking Spike in the back of the neck instead.

"Ow! Damn it Faye! What the hell! Weren't you listening?"

Faye stifled a laugh, "Shit Spike….I'm s…sorry"

"Are you laughing!? This isn't funny. Come on, get it out!"

Faye leaned over, examining his neck. It wasn't too bad, after wiggling the hook a bit, and with a tiny bit of resistance, she had removed it. She noted that Spike winced slightly as she did so. Quickly he pushed himself up, and started to walk away. At first Faye thought he might be mad, and felt a little bad for laughing. After about ten feet, he stopped. "Ok, try again."

"Thanks for having faith in me."

Spike grinned. "Better safe than sorry."

Faye's next attempt went much better. Spike returned to her side, plopping back down and holding up his hand for a high five, which she returned. "Good job."

* * *

They spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon fishing, though they caught nothing, except a slight sunburn, and a buzz from the beer they had cracked into as morning had turned to afternoon.

They smoked and talked casually of things of no importance, simply just enjoying each others company. At one point Spike's words caught in his throat as Faye leaned her head over on his shoulder. He made no move to react, or respond and simply let it be. He noted that her hair smelled good, and that she had begun to make him feel awkward. At times he was starting to think that maybe he cared for her a little more than he should for a friend, but usually he could talk himself out of those thoughts.

This time however his thoughts nagged him into actions. Maybe he could try to blame it on the couple beers he had drank, but this time he was having a hard time talking himself out of anything.

Throwing caution to the wind he gave into to the strange nagging desire in his head. Turning his head, Spike softly pressed his lips to her forehead. He felt her tense against his shoulder._ Smooth move buddy….real smooth. _Clearing his throat he quickly got up. "How about we get that fire going before it gets dark and we forget?"

Faye followed suit and rose to her feet. "Yeah that sounds like a plan. How about you go get the wood, and I'll go find that hatchet."

Spike stared blankly at her, still shocked by his previous actions. He had actually just kissed her forehead. His eyes scanned her body, trying to focus on anything but her eyes. _She__'__s probably gonna hack me up with that hatchet._

"Spike….Spike! Are you listening to me? Go get some of that wood." She had noticed his earlier avoidance of her eyes, as he had been looking her up and down instead. An evil grin spread across her face as she moved to pass him. "And hurry it up would ya!" Her grin spread as she firmly smacked his ass as she walked by.

Spike shook his head, as he made his way to the bundles of wood stacked against the Bebop. He mock saluted her playful demand. "Yes ma'am!" This time it was his turn to be grateful that she couldn't see the goofy grin spread across his blushing face.


	6. Sleep Tight Tonight

Thick clouds of grey smoke billowed across the deck of the Bebop. Both Spike and Faye choked on the smoky air that stung their eyes.

"I told you those pieces are too big! It's never going to catch."

Spike sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "Fine then, almighty queen of the wilderness. If you think you can do better, then please, be my guest."

Faye shot Spike an annoyed glance as she carefully grabbed the pieces of wood by their uncharred ends. She had tried to tell Spike that he had cut the kindling to big, but of course he wouldn't listen.

As she grabbed the hatchet from the deck and cut the pieces smaller, she thought in the back of her mind that maybe she should cut his fingers off while she was at it. _He thinks he knows everything._

Using the remnants of the beer box, Faye carefully rearranged the smaller pieces of wood, and lit it, watching intently. As the flames finally caught, she turned to Spike with a triumphant grin on her face. "Well….you may bow down now peasant."

Flipping her off, Spike walked away without a word, heading for the edge of the deck. Faye plopped down in a chair beside the fire, and tossed a log on. She lit a cigarette, a smug smile still on her face, proud of herself for showing Spike up. Exhaling a small cloud of smoke, she let her eyes wander over to Spike.

Over the crackling of the fire she could faintly hear him whistling a low tune. The sun was starting to set, and she couldn't help but admire the way his silhouette looked in the diminishing light. She would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't attracted to him. Part of her dreaded this weekend ending. Soon Jet and Ed would be back, things would go back to normal. Back to the bickering, the ignoring, the snide remarks, with moments of kindness sporadically sprinkled through out. Does it have to be like that though? Faye was snapped out of her reverie as Spike's whistling abruptly stopped and was replaced by a faint tinkling sound.

"Seriously Spike! Are you really peeing over there!? We have indoor plumbing ya know? You even said yourself that the bathroom wasn't off limits."

Spike turned to look at her over his shoulder, there was just enough light for Faye to make out the lopsided grin on his face. "Just trying to keep things authentic my dear." Continuing about his business he turned back to Faye again. "You're not trying to sneak a peek are you?"

"Yeah right, I am pretty sure I have had more than enough disappointment in my life. Why add to it?"

"Disappointment….No Faye you must be confused, I think the word you are looking for is awe inspiring."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's the word." Faye rolled her eyes and tossed her spent cigarette into the fire, reaching into the cooler for a beer.

Spike, who was now attempting to retrieve a beer of his own, scowled as she slammed to cooler lid closed. "Go wash your hands first, nasty."

Spike kicked the leg of her chair as he walked passed, mumbling under his breath. "Yes mom."

* * *

As Spike headed back inside, Faye took a sip of her beer. She closed her eyes, getting lost in thought. Her mind went back to 8 months ago when Spike had returned to the Bebop. He had been gone for a month, and even though Faye had tried to hold out hope, she had finally begun to resolve herself to the fact that he was dead. She remembered sitting on the couch, idly filing her nails, Jet had been searching for potential bounties when the sound of a ship landing on the flight deck had startled them both. Faye had felt her heart race, and once Spike had entered through the door, she thought it might explode. Jet had gotten off the couch, and limped, his leg still healing from the bullet wound, to slap Spike on the back, and jovially welcomed him back. Faye had to fight back the urge to run up to him and throw her arms around him, instead she silently thanked whatever great force out there that had brought him back alive.

Everything had gone back to the way it had been before. Back to hunting bounties, bickering, meager meals, fleeting moments of familial normalcy. About a month after Spike's return, Ed and Ein had returned. Once again there were few explanations or questions asked. Though it was still sort of surreal to Faye, she had to admit that it was great to have everyone back together once more. She had just learned to accept the fact that they were just the kind of people who didn't pry into one and others business. They kept certain walls up, and respected unspoken boundaries, herself included.

Spike returning to the flight deck snapped her out of thought, and she flashed him a sly grin. "About time."

* * *

They spent the rest of the evening roasting hot dogs, and drinking beer. At one point they toasted marshmallows, Faye laughing at Spike as he lost his first two into the fire. They reminisced about bounties caught and lost, about drinks shared in smoky bars, pranks played on each other, and other good times.

The fire had all but burnt to embers, and it was getting late. Spike turned his eyes toward the night sky. "We should probably get situated in the tent."

Nodding in agreement, Faye made her way toward Spike's tent like creation. Climbing in, and getting situated, she was surprised at how comfortable it actually was. Spike joined her, and Faye couldn't help but laugh a little to herself. While she fit just fine, Spike was almost too tall, his head almost hanging out. Faye was also thankful that the amount of space forced them to lay pretty much side by side, something that she would appreciate in secret.

Both laid on their stomachs, heads poking out of the tent, a battery operated lantern between them, each with a beer in front of them and a cigarette in hand. The silence that had settled over them was thick, but not uncomfortable. Spike stared out straight ahead, and Faye used the moment to enjoy the side profile of his face. She couldn't help but notice that he seemed lost in thought, some place far away, even though he was right beside her. "You still miss her." It wasn't a question, just a plain statement.

Spike took a drag, and exhaled, eyes still focused out toward the edge of the deck, he knew who Faye was speaking of. "I do. Every single day. I loved her, and I think a part of me always will, I mean you can't really forget the first time you ever really feel love."

Faye nodded, not really knowing what to say to him, and she was thankful when he continued to speak again.

" Before I came back to the Bebop…I mean, after everything. I was in the hospital for three weeks actually. I had a lot of time to think, and think and think some more"

Faye was a bit taken back at how casually he had offered up such information, after months of all of them pretending nothing had happened. She placed a hand on his arm, waiting for him to continue.

"I cant let the past control my life though. I learned that. And I guess if there is any important lesson to be learned in life, that might be it. I can be grateful for what I had, and love the memories, but not let them consume me. I had memories of the past, but if I only live in them, Ill never have the chance to make new memories. I feel pretty confident that I can move on with my life somehow. I mean I have my friends, Jet, the kid, the damn dog, and even you."

She was totally floored. Part of her wanted to ask him where the real Spike was, but she decided if he was going to be open with her, the least she could do was spare him some of the sarcastic remarks. At least for now.

Faye smiled a genuine smile, and leaned over kissing his forehead right above his eyebrow. "Good night Spike."

He was stunned at her actions, but he would be a liar if he said he wasn't enjoying this side of her. He smiled as he watched her get under her blanket, her back to him. Spike reached over and turned off the lantern, getting situated himself. "Night Faye."

Sometime in the middle of the night Faye awoke, and panicked, upon opening her eyes as everything remained dark. It took her sleepy mind a moment to realize that the back of Spike's arm was draped across her face. Shoving his arm off her face she poked him in the side. "Move over lunkhead."

Mumbling something incoherent, Spike rolled over, and started snoring softly. Faye briefly thought about waking him back up to tell him to stop snoring, but instead scooted over, snuggling up against his sleeping form, letting sleep claim her once more.

* * *

"Faye… Hey..Faye…Wake up."

Slowly opening her eyes to the soft voice speaking to her, Faye pulled the blanket up over her head. "What do you want Spike?"

"You gotta see the sunrise, its amazing."

Crawling out from under the blanket, Faye stuck her head outside of the tent, truly in awe of the bright red and orange painting the early morning sky. "Its beautiful."

Both had resumed their prone positions from the night before. Spike placed his hand over the top of Faye's and nodded. "Yeah it really is huh?"

Faye made no motion to remove her hand from under his, it was too early to feel awkward, and so she just let it be.

"Hey Faye?" getting no response, Spike turned his eyes from the sky to Faye, who had her head resting on top of their hands, she had fallen back to sleep.

Chuckling to himself, and lighting a cigarette with his free hand, he glanced from his companion, and back to the brilliantly lit sky. If this what living in the present could be like, he wondered why it had taken him so long to get with the program. There would always be memories, both old and new. There would be bumps in the road along the way, mistakes made, lessons to be learned. One thing Spike knew about himself is that he was slow to learn, but damn it he was going to give it his best shot this time around.


End file.
